What could the future look like for Manufacturing Businesses?
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And what part does automation play in this?
The pace of change and innovation seems to increase rapidly every year.
It is essential that the latest versions of PLC Controls, intelligent sensors and devices are evaluated to ensure our systems remain relevant. Whilst reliability is often established through experience, the pace of change is such that what was the ‘best on the market’ 2 years ago, may be far behind in terms of potential benefits to the customer now.
We are constantly evaluating new systems, drives and sensors to ensure that we use components that will help you, the customer to stay at the front of your game. Keep up with change…
I4.0 envisages an environment where multiple machines, devices, sensors, and people connect and communicate with each other via the Internet of Things (IoT) or the Internet of People (IoP)[10]
Information transparency – the transparency offered by Industry 4.0 technology provides operators and management with large amounts of information needed to make appropriate decisions. This inter-connectivity facilitates operators in collecting data and information from all points in the manufacturing process, increasing functionality and identifying areas that can benefit from innovation and improvements to efficiency.
Technical assistance: The ability of assistive systems to support human operators by aggregating, visualising and analysing information comprehensively for making informed decisions and solving urgent problems on short notice. Also, the ability of cyber physical systems to physically support humans by conducting a range of tasks that are unpleasant, too exhausting, or unsafe for their human co-workers, the rapid rise in use of the Cobot is an example of this.
Decentralised decisions: The ability of cyber physical systems to make decisions on their own and to perform their tasks as autonomously as possible. Only in the case of exceptions, interferences, or conflicting goals, are tasks delegated to a higher level
One example of the advances in technology available to our customers is the use of intelligent distance measuring and vision systems which will determine a component configuration and apply the adhesive where needed without operator intervention. This means that full flow process can be adopted rather than inefficient methods of batch production with multiple operator setups for different components and product lines.
